Will a revolver cut it for self defense anymore??????? (scenarios)

This is a discussion on Will a revolver cut it for self defense anymore??????? (scenarios) within the Carry & Defensive Scenarios forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Originally Posted by azchevy
Shot placement is key. My guess from my past life and experience is that this officer performed the minimum standard firearm ...

Shot placement is key. My guess from my past life and experience is that this officer performed the minimum standard firearm training as subscribed by his department. Which 8 out of 10 times is punching paper in a weaver stance for a few hours a month ( in our case). If he had taken the initiative to enroll in force on force and combat pistol classes on his own time or on his departments time if authorized he may have been better prepared for this situation. I am not going to armchair qb this one, I am just going to say that magazine capacity is no replacement for training and preparedness. Most of the guys I worked with in the past, and work with now have never even seen an incident on duty let alone off duty. My stance is I want a lightweight concealable handgun and I am not going to compromise discreteness for capacity. If I need multiple magazines then I should have brought a rifle. In my 20+ years I have had one incident at work ( in which I fired <5 shots and was carrying a hicap) and one incident as a civilian ( in which I fired < 5 shots and was carrying a hicap) . I think that was above the norm and consider myself unlucky. A few of the guys I worked with had 20+ years in and never had to fire a shot in anger, as most people here. But you do what you gotta do. I still stand by the premise that a revolver is more than adequate for self defense and anyone that thinks otherwise is kidding themselves.

Not all shootings happen out in the middle of the street, it can happen in an office or home where you can not get the proper shot placement due to barriers between you and the BG. If your basing your opinion on you then your basing it on a very small sample size. Some shootings may have one shot fired or 15 shots fired. Never know. Your also more likely to MISS your target than hit it. Anyone that think that once the shooting start then the BG or BGs will leave is kidding themselves.

This guy had a gun, and it seemed like he fired off a round or two before it jammed or whatever happen to it. The bottom line is that those ******** STAYED to fight. Don't give out no BS that its the store owners and other things like that. The fact is that this could very easy have happen out on the street, or inside your house, or inside your job. This is real. I carry a revolver, but no where near how I carry my autos.

Originally Posted by azchevy

Ok soe joe ccw hero wanabee decides to draw his weapon and enter the fray and takes an 870 blast from a panicked employee.... real smart. That is some quick thinking there. better to take cover and get in defensive mode and not draw your weapon in front of a bunch of armed panicked employees who have no clue if you are friend or foe and do not have the "combat experience" to make that determination in a high stress situation. But you do what you gotta do.

Most jewelry shops have NO areas to take cover unless your on the other side of the counter. So what do you do? Be a sitting duck or be active on getting yourself home?

Originally Posted by azchevy

You need a luxury car to drive in the city? When I lived and worked in a city I usually just used my POV that I owned. I have NEVER taken a bus in my life. Walk, bike, or drive my car/motorcycle.

Where did I say that you need a luxury car? I said people don't have the luxury OF owning a car. Once again, if you are basing the way people live on your life then you have a very small sample size. Since I was 16 years old I have always had a car so there was no need for me to use the bus.With that being said, when my car broke down and I had no one to call to get me home, I had to take the bus to get home. You never know what problem may come along where you have to use public transportation.

I am planning on buying a .357 probably Ruger and can honestly say that if a group of "thugs" wants to make trouble, hitting one between the eyes with a hollow point will make the rest think twice about getting the same treatment.

Great choice with a ruger! Built equally, if not better, than a S&W but with a far lower price. Rugers customer service is also second to none. They can spend alot of time in helping you since they don't get many calls!

If I shoot the first thug in the face with a .357 125gr jhp will his friends stick around to have a shootout?

Can you reference to self defense situations where multiple rounds were needed to disable multiple targets and or engage in a drawn out gunfight?

A perfect example of this is the couple who's home was invaded by three men. She retrieved the handgun form the bedroom and shot it out with one of the guys. He taunted her during the fight and she eventually ran dry. After the first shots were fired, the guys stayed in the house, assaulting the husband, and one took a knee and waited for her to poke her head out but she came around the other side. They eventually fled and one of the bad guys died on the scene. The husband survived, but was close to death, IIRC.

Disclaimer - I don't typically read "Women Shooters", but this is the first that came up in a Google search on the story...

Then there's the old marine at the restaurant or convenience store that had to reload his 1911 after fighting two bad guys. It's definitely not the norm, but it is becoming more common than before. These little gang bangers are out to kill just for an initiation to a gang in some instances. Others, they kill you for the heck of it. Again, it's not the norm, but it is on the rise and the chances are better everyday that it can happen to you. The chances are 100% that it will happen to numerous people in the US today.

Then there was the guy that met his friend's at one of their offices one night and they were robbed at gunpoint. He was a member of AR15.com, if I remember correctly. He reloaded his 1911 once after being shot in one or both hands and side.

Then there's Officer Dinkheller ("Stop Screaming, Start Shooting" video) who ran dry during a shootout. Unfortunately, he did not survive the shooting. I know this is LE and not a civilian self defense shooting but it shows that some will stay and fight, just like the Officer Jared Reston shooting.

Having said that, if all I had was a revolver or it was what i was most proficient with, I'd feel perfectly content as long as I trained regularly and worked on reloads the same as I do with a 1911 or Glock.

Proven combat techniques may not be flashy and may require a bit more physical effort on the part of the shooter. Further, they may not win competition matches, but they will help ensure your survival in a shooting or gunfight on the street. ~Paul Howe

A perfect example of this is the couple who's home was invaded by three men. She retrieved the handgun form the bedroom and shot it out with one of the guys. He taunted her during the fight and she eventually ran dry. After the first shots were fired, the guys stayed in the house, assaulting the husband, and one took a knee and waited for her to poke her head out but she came around the other side. They eventually fled and one of the bad guys died on the scene. The husband survived, but was close to death, IIRC.

Disclaimer - I don't typically read "Women Shooters", but this is the first that came up in a Google search on the story...

Then there's the old marine at the restaurant or convenience store that had to reload his 1911 after fighting two bad guys. It's definitely not the norm, but it is becoming more common than before. These little gang bangers are out to kill just for an initiation to a gang in some instances. Others, they kill you for the heck of it. Again, it's not the norm, but it is on the rise and the chances are better everyday that it can happen to you. The chances are 100% that it will happen to numerous people in the US today.

I understand that it happens, but I wonder how much they actually trained with their weapons?

This tells me a lot:

Then she reached for the gun. The one she hated. The one Mike had left with a loaded 10-round magazine inserted, but no round in the chamber, in their bedroom, over her objections.
Without hesitation, she picked it up and did exactly what he had made her practice. Safety on. Pull the slide back. Safety off.

Basically she trained to take the safety on an off and maybe fired a few shots in her life because she HATED the weapon,

As for the jarhead, Just because you are a former Marine does not automatically make you a weapons expert.

Buying and carrying the weapon is one thing, but people focus too much on the equipment and not enough on the training part.... "ammo is expensive" "I don't have time" "I shot these in the service" "how hard is it? point and click".... that being said I DO NOT feel under gunned with my 5 shot revolver and 5-10 rounds of reloads.

Basically she trained to take the safety on an off and maybe fired a few shots in her life because she HATED the weapon,

As for the jarhead, Just because you are a former Marine does not automatically make you a weapons expert.

Buying and carrying the weapon is one thing, but people focus too much on the equipment and not enough on the training part.... "ammo is expensive" "I don't have time" "I shot these in the service" "how hard is it? point and click".... that being said I DO NOT feel under gunned with my 5 shot revolver and 5-10 rounds of reloads.

Tell me about it. I can't tell you how many guys with a short time in the service think they're weapons experts. And that's just it about the training too. There's one or two self defense experts on this forum that have no training and have never been in a defensive situation, but yet they speak for concealed carriers as a whole and one even insulted me (and basically everyone that gets training regularly calling them Rambo's, mall ninjas and similar) in a recent thread because I suggested one get as much training as they possibly can.

Give someone without training a handgun (a .22 at that) and have throw them into a fight and things can easily go from bad to worse. I only posted those because you asked for examples after someone else's post.

I've never carried a revolver as a primary. If I would have dedicated the time to them as I do my other handguns and ARs, I'd have no issue with carrying one on a daily basis.

Proven combat techniques may not be flashy and may require a bit more physical effort on the part of the shooter. Further, they may not win competition matches, but they will help ensure your survival in a shooting or gunfight on the street. ~Paul Howe

I remember the guy on tv who was a repeated victim of robbery who decided to buy himself a gun. Loaded the same gun and then when the bad guy came in to rob his store, pulled out his pistol and pulled the trigger, again and again............... Nothing happened. Seems he forgot to take the gun off safety. Booger comes back and shoots the owner more than once before leaving. The owner is relating this on national tv (I think it was to show the evils of owning a firearm or some such BS), crying like a baby. I guess! That hurts.

I don't care what title you carry, whether it's in any branch of the military or as a civilian LEO. Titles do NOT a weapons expert make. Being a weapons expert does NOT make you a competent weapons handler in a combat situation. Being a competent weapons handler in a combat situation does not mean you will always perform the same.

Every serious social situation is different, variables will differ, from lighting to weather, crowds, traffic, to your emotional state just before things get serious. These and more.

The only constant MUST be your training and mind set long before things get dirty. Only then can you even hope for a reasonable amount of consistancy................................... and a chance to stay alive.

I didn't notice this thread earlier in the month. I'm an enthusiastic fan of revolvers for self-defense.

I'm comfortable with revolvers for my own purposes. I've primarily relied on revolvers, generally this same .38 Special Smith & Wesson Model 10 Heavy Barrel, since the mid-1970s excepting for the occasional forays into the realm of the 1911. The revolver has been a comfort in a banking career that occasionally required me to be in locales and situations that were unsavory. Even the 4-inch K-Frame Smith & Wesson revolver hides well beneath a suit coat.

A revolver has also been the primary side arm for trips afield hiking and hunting and has served admirably for critters and varmints of all sorts. Revolvers have served for deer hunting as well. I'm certainly not going to go all wobbly at this point over whether or not revolvers will still cut it for personal defense. The revolver suits whether it's in style or out of style.

I have lots of handguns of all sorts on hand but have enjoyed sticking with the same old revolver through the years. Knowing a handgun, or at least a handgun design, thoroughly has some merit over the "gun-of-the-month" method of finding that perfect concealed carry handgun.

Never pick a fight with an old man...If he's too old to fight, he'll just kill you - John SteinbeckCome to Colorado...the governor is loopy.................................................. .................................................. ......................They Live

Meh, he just posted that because all of his statements where defeated but yet he had to say something just to get the last word in lol

You are taking about all the crime in your area when you were 16.... yet it was illegal for you to own a handgun at that time.... yet you lived through all of that without firing a shot from your hicap mag that you would have been committing a felony by carrying. So your argument was based upon the commission of a felony yet my statements were defeated. Classic.

How many rounds in self defense have you fired through your hicap mags? How many times did you have to reload?

I work for a living and always have, therefore I have always been able to afford a vehicle. When I was 16 I had money saved up from paper routes and cutting lawns and raking leaves, and I paid for my first vehicle out of my own pocket and the gas I paid for by stocking a grocery store shelves and washing dishes.... why? because I didn't need to or want to ride the bus. I would rather walk. Life is full of choices.

Tell me about it. I can't tell you how many guys with a short time in the service think they're weapons experts. And that's just it about the training too. There's one or two self defense experts on this forum that have no training and have never been in a defensive situation, but yet they speak for concealed carriers as a whole and one even insulted me (and basically everyone that gets training regularly calling them Rambo's, mall ninjas and similar) in a recent thread because I suggested one get as much training as they possibly can.

Give someone without training a handgun (a .22 at that) and have throw them into a fight and things can easily go from bad to worse. I only posted those because you asked for examples after someone else's post.

I've never carried a revolver as a primary. If I would have dedicated the time to them as I do my other handguns and ARs, I'd have no issue with carrying one on a daily basis.

I agree with you 100%. If I were on the job or in a high risk situation such as a convenience store or jewelry store owner, I would most definitely carry a hicap with a rifle or scatter gun close by but as for my civilian day to day the revolver will do just fine. Most of the people I see pimping you must carry the hi capacity firearm every day by using mumbai style threats and other sensationalism are usually the ones profiting from it in some way shape or form whether through firearm or magazine sales or other avenues of revenue. I say carry what you are comfortable with. You want to lug around a full sized auto loader with multiple hi cap mags? Be my guest more power to you. Me? I will stick with the lightweight PDW and a couple speedstrips and call it a day. I don't even carry a "defensive" knife. My knife is a TOOL. So I carry a multi tool. But if you want to load up on the latest tac gear go for it. I get more use out of my leatherman than I did my benchmade.